1 min read

Season 4, Episode 88

Workers finding their voice in new wave of organizing efforts

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Guest Name:


Dave Jamieson

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https://www.huffpost.com/author/dave-jamieson 

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Huff Post Labor Writer, Dave Jamieson, joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to discuss the current wave of union organizing efforts throughout America.

There are currently multiple large-scale organizing campaigns in America. Jamieson discussed the opportunities for Trader Joe's, Starbucks and Amazon workers to get behind their organizing drives and attempt to be recognized as a union. Unlike a few years ago when organizing efforts weren’t impacting large companies, Jamieson believes the efforts now are galvanizing a group of workers that previously felt left out of these discussions. 

Jamieson also discussed the Writers Guild of America strike. As a member of the WGA, Jamieson supports his Brothers and Sisters in their efforts to secure a better contract. Currently, the strike is happening in both New York and Los Angeles where the union’s East and West headquarters are located. Approximately 11,000 writers and producers are currently on strike, and Jamieson believes they are prepared to strike for as long as necessary.

The biggest factor behind the WGA strike is the explosion of online streaming services. With online streaming services, shows have shorter seasons, meaning writers who traditionally get paid by episode only get paid for 10 episodes compared to the previous 20-30 per season. Also, the residual pay from the replays of TV shows and movies are accounted for differently than previously, lowering the amount of residual pay a writer receives. Most writers are struggling to make ends meet, and their goal is to make a living as a TV and movie writer with a new contract Jamieson added.

Listen to the entire episode to learn more.

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America’s Work Force is the only daily labor podcast in the US and has been on the air since 1993, supplying listeners with useful, relevant input into their daily lives through fact-finding features, in-depth interviews, informative news segments and practical consumer reports. America’s Work Force is committed to providing an accessible venue in which America's workers and their families can hear discussion on important, relevant topics such as employment, healthcare, legislative action, labor-management relations, corporate practices, finances, local and national politics, consumer reports and labor issues.

America’s Work Force Union Podcast is brought to you in part by our sponsors: AFL-CIO, American Federation of Government Employees, American Federation of Musicians Local 4, Alliance for American Manufacturing, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes-IBT, Boyd Watterson, Columbus/Central Ohio Building and Construction Trades Council, Communication Workers of America, Mechanical Insulators Labor Management Cooperative Trust, International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers Local 50, International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Crafts, International Union of Painters and Allied Trades District Council 6, Ironworkers Great Lakes District Council, Melwood, The Labor Citizen newspaper, Laborers International Union of North America, The National Labor Office of Blue Cross and Blue Shield, North Coast Area Labor Federation, Ohio Federation of Teachers, United Labor Agency, United Steelworkers.

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